Yakov Smirnoff

June 2, 1985

Born: Odessa, Soviet Union.

Early on: Smirnoff, a self-described class clown, began performing publicly at 15. Jokes had to be approved by government censors, who did not allow any material that mentioned sex or politics. Drafted into the Soviet Army, he volunteered to entertain military troops. Later, he worked a cruise ship in the Black Sea (''sort of like a Love Barge'').

Getting out: Smirnoff applied for an exit visa in 1977. Along with his parents, he spent the next two years in a kind of limbo. ''The first thing they do is fire you from your job. That discourages others. They also interrogate you constantly -- it's almost as bad as being on 60 Minutes.'' With the visas finally approved, the family was given 10 days to leave the country and limited to two suitcases and $100 cash apiece.

In the U.S.A.: Once in New York City, Smirnoff landed a job as a bar boy at Grossinger's in the Catskill Mountains -- ''the cradle of comedic civilization.'' Eventually he worked up a six-minute comedy routine and went back to New York City.

Success: Gigs at small comedy clubs like Catch a Rising Star, The Comic Strip and Good Times led to an engagement at Los Angeles' Comedy Store, where director Paul Mazursky caught his act. Smirnoff was tapped to play opposite Robin Williams in the film Moscow on the Hudson. He now lives in Los Angeles.